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* | * one type of consecutive nouns may be a noun acting as a modifier, as if an adjective (but not one) | ||
* such nouns are called "attributive" nouns | * such nouns are called "attributive" nouns | ||
** also called "adjunct" (supporting of) nouns or "apposite" (related to) | |||
* attributive nouns modify or qualify another noun | * attributive nouns modify or qualify another noun | ||
** modify = change or add to the meaning of | ** modify = change or add to the meaning of | ||
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* ex.: "dog food" | * ex.: "dog food" | ||
** i.e.: "dog food" = "a type of food that is for dogs" | ** i.e.: "dog food" = "a type of food that is for dogs" | ||
** "dog" thereby indicates | ** "dog" thereby indicates an attribute, or type or characteristic, of "food" | ||
* example of multiple objects + a attributive nouns: | |||
** "The pitcher threw the batter a hardball pitch" | |||
** S: pitcher V: threw IO: catcher ADJ: hardball (appositive noun) DO: pitch | |||
*** could also be expressed as: "the pitcher threw a (hardball) pitch to the catcher" | |||
**** "hardball" = a noun, but here it is describing the direct object "pitch" | |||
**** thus "hardball" is acting like an adjective | |||
* the attributive noun is (almost) always singular | * the attributive noun is (almost) always singular | ||
** = because it is acting like an adjective, which always remains in the singular form ("red shoes" as opposed to "reds shoes") | ** = because it is acting like an adjective, which always remains in the singular form ("red shoes" as opposed to "reds shoes") | ||
** = as a category or type, the noun must remain singular | ** = as a category or type, the noun must remain singular | ||
** exception for plural attributive nouns = special words such as "arms race" or "rewards card" | |||
** possessive attributive noun: | |||
* exception for plural attributive nouns = special words such as "arms race" or "rewards card" | *** ex.: "the National's game" | ||
* possessive attributive noun: | *** these are often morphed into plural attributive, thus "National's game" becomes "Nationals game", "reward's card" becomes "rewards card", or "lady's night" becomes "ladies night" | ||
** ex.: "the National's game" | ** multiple attributives | ||
** these are often morphed into plural attributive, thus "National's game" becomes "Nationals game", "reward's card" becomes "rewards card", or "lady's night" becomes "ladies night" | *** ex.: "beef dog food" or " | ||
* multiple attributives | *** news headlines often use multiple attributives, such as "South Park man Kenneth "Kenny" McCormick dies again" | ||
** ex.: "beef dog food" or " | * strict grammatical terms does now apply the "attributive" label for "adjective homograph" nouns (such as "iron" or "paper") or "compounds" or "open compounds" | ||
** news headlines often use multiple attributives, such as "South Park man Kenneth "Kenny" McCormick dies again" | ** see https://www.merriam-webster.com/help/explanatory-notes/dict-attributive-nouns | ||
* | * attributive nouns are not adjectives | ||
** ''' | ** the only syntactic form of an adjective that the attributive noun employs is the "prepositive" position | ||
*** | *** i.e., preceding the noun it modifies | ||
*** see additional entry on appositive | **** ''big dog'', ''small house'' | ||
** attributive nouns cannot operate as post-positive adjectives (following the noun): | |||
*** whereas an adjective can be a subject complement: | |||
**** ''boring meeting'' >> ''the meeting is boring'' | |||
*** ''dog food'' >> ''food dog'' or ''business meeting'' >> ''meeting business'' << don't work | |||
** attributive nouns cannot operate as subject complements (as do adjectives) | |||
*** ''the food is dog'' or ''the meeting is business'' << don't work | |||
** attributive nouns cannot take on a comparative form (as do adjectives) | |||
*** whereas nouns can go from ''big'' to ''bigger'' | |||
**** ''big test'' >> ''bigger test'' | |||
*** attributive nouns cannot: ''businesser meeting'' << doesn't work | |||
* see also additional entry on | |||
** "appositive phrase" | |||
** '''compound noun''' | ** '''compound noun''' | ||
** '''noun adjunct''' | ** '''noun adjunct''' | ||
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** [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noun_adjunct Noun adjunct (wiki)] | ** [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noun_adjunct Noun adjunct (wiki)] | ||
** [http://myenglishgrammar.com/lesson-12-modifiers/4-nouns-as-modifiers.html Nouns as Modifiers (meg.com)] | ** [http://myenglishgrammar.com/lesson-12-modifiers/4-nouns-as-modifiers.html Nouns as Modifiers (meg.com)] | ||